Flexible Learning is a personal investigation of the relationship between the design-thinking process and standardized primary education. The problem-solving methods used in graphic design, are studied as a means of enhancing skills among students—skills that are not generally being developed, some of which are creativity, engagement, collaboration, evaluation, refinement, and presentation techniques. While I access and synthesize information from my clients, a child also access and synthesize information from his or her teacher. When a client comes to me with a design request, I research, create, and then present the most appropriate solution. In the classroom, this kind of thinking process is also possible when the teacher offers students the opportunity to solve a problem, usually in the form of a project. I will explain how more intensive and creative application of design thinking process could expand the horizons for whole brain learning and creative thinking among students.

An education that does not recognise schools as places for the mere transmission and assimilation of knowledge, but as places for critical and creative inquiry, is quality education. Philosophising with children in schools assumes that children are actively and deliberately encouraged in seeking responses to the questions about reality they raise at a very early age. The practice of philosophy is undoubtedly one of the underpinnings of a quality education for all. By contributing to opening children‘s minds, building their critical reflection and autonomous thinking, philosophy contributes to the protection against manipulation and exclusion at the hands of adults. If education in general must open up to children the maps of an intricate world in a continuous state of tension, then philosophy is a compass for navigating that world. Hence children, irrespective of their geographical location and regardless of their social milieu or state of development of their country, deserve to be equipped with the tools so motivated for. Using conceptual analysis as a tool, I explore the Lipman method of Philosophy for Children by presenting a case for an African perspective of the same. I situate doing philosophy with children in the context of the African philosophy debate. While Lipman‘s model provides the case for the role of rational, logical and systematic thinking in children, the African background promises the raw materials on which the said instruments work. I therefore settle for a hybridised Philosophy for Children programme that marries the universalist and the particularist views of doing philosophy. I argue that the traditional African notion of community plays a significant role in our understanding of the community of inquiry as pedagogy of doing philosophy with children. Embedded in African ―community‖ is the concept of ukama qua relationality, which constitutes a keystone in the envisaged African perspective of Philosophy for Children. I conclude that doing philosophy with children in schools in Africa contributes to the interpretation of the cultural, economic and circumstances of the African situation.

Master of Science in Mathematics Education 2017 / This study focused on mathematical teachers’ beliefs about teaching critical thinking and how these beliefs informed teaching mathematics in practice. Two sets of interviews were conducted that investigated what conceptions of critical thinking, teaching strategies and tasks, and assessment methods, teachers believed promoted critical thinking in their mathematical classroom. Qualitative methods of inductive analysis were used to analyse teachers’ responses based on grounded theory where categories were constructed and re- organised into themes. The study found that teachers had a limited understanding of critical thinking and their beliefs about teaching critical thinking skills in mathematics did not appear to be reflected in practice. These newly qualified teachers demonstrated that they need assistance in developing and using teaching strategies and tasks that promote critical thinking skills in mathematics. / MT 2018

A partir do processo de implementação do Sistema Único de Saúde, diversos desafios foram emergindo de um contexto histórico, pautado na exclusão. Diversas estratégias foram utilizadas no sentido de superar os problemas e, entre estas, se destaca o Programa de Saúde da Família, cujos princípios se norteiam pela proximidade do usuário, centralidade na família, trabalho multiprofissional. No entanto, a questão da falta de formação e preparo dos profissionais se apresenta principalmente que se refere ao tratamento humanizado. Neste sentido, o estudo foi construído sob o universo conceitual originado dos trabalhos de Paulo Freire, em particular aos conceitos referentes e articulados a temática da humanização. O presente trabalho objetivou investigar em que medida o modelo pedagógico universitário tem influências na formação do enfermeiro, do médico e do odontólogo com relação à humanização, que no marco teórico freireano significa o bem tratar do paciente, mas também a inserção do profissional como ator social transformador. Para tanto, foram investigados os cursos de Enfermagem, Medicina e Odontologia de uma Universidade Federal da Região Norte do Brasil, pautando-se na perspectiva qualitativa. Como técnicas, foram realizados um encontro de grupo focal para cada curso, com seis acadêmicos do último período. Na etapa seguinte, realizou-se entrevista semiestruturada e individual, com os acadêmicos que participaram dos Grupos focais. Utilizou-se, ainda, da análise documental das matrizes curriculares dos cursos. Os resultados indicam que o ensino em Enfermagem, em Medicina e em Odontologia apresenta talhe tradicional, narrativo e depositário, conforme Freire, direcionamento que implica na vivência desumanizadora do acadêmico durante o curso universitário e que, segundo o referencial teórico, se refletirá na postura futura dos educandos. Os resultados sugerem a premente necessidade de reorientação dos modelos pedagógicos dos cursos estudados, com vistas a formação de enfermeiros, médicos e odontólogos com prática pautada no pensamento histórico-político e crítico reflexivo. / From the process of implementation of the Single Health System, several challenges were emerging from a historical context, guided the exclusion. Several strategies were used to overcome the problems and, among these, are the highlights of the Family Health Program, whose principles are guiding the proximity of the user, centrality in the family, multidisciplinary work. However, the issue of lack of training and preparation of professionals presents mainly regard to the treatment humanized. Therefore, the study was built under the conceptual universe originated the work of Paulo Freire, in particular relating to the concepts articulated in the subject of humanization. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which the pedagogical model university has influence in the training of nurse, doctor and dentist with respect to the humanization, which in the theoretical framework freireano means and treat the patient, but also the inclusion of professional and social actor processor. For both, were investigated the courses of Nursing, Medicine and Dentistry of a Federal University of the north of Brazil, in the qualitative perspective. As techniques were performed a meeting of focus group for each course, with six of the last academic period. In the next stage, held up a semi-structured and individual, with the scholars who participated in focus groups. It was used, in addition, the analysis of the documentary matrices curricula of the courses. The results indicate that education in Nursing, Medicine and Dentistry presents cut traditional, narrative and depositary, as Freire, targeting implies that the experience during the course of the academic university, which, according to the theoretical reference, if reflect on the future posture of the students. The results suggest the urgent need for reorientation of the teaching models of the courses studied, with a view to training for nurses, doctors and dentists with guided practice in the historical-political thinking and critical reflection.

Denna studie handlar om hur lärare kan arbeta för att främja ett kritiskt förhållningssättbland eleverna genom bildundervisning. Ett kritiskt förhållningssätt innebär inte endast enförmåga att kritiskt granska och bedöma information, utan handlar även om problemlösning,självinsikt och att våga formulera sina egna åsikter, och det handlar om förmågan att kunna se sakerur någon annans perspektiv.Med utgångspunkt i att hitta en ingång till bildundervisning som handlar omkommunikation, tolkning och analys, snarare än praktiska hantverkskunskaper, så utforskas detkritiska tänkandet. Vad det egentligen innebär, varför det är nödvändigt att lära ut, de storamöjligheterna att koppla det till bildämnet. Omständigheter som först verkar som hinder för attarbeta med kritiskt tänkande blir till ingångar att reflektera över vad som prioriteras iundervisningen. Studien består av uppsatsen och en gestaltning, som visades underlärarprogrammets examensutställning på Konstfack under januari 2019.Gestaltningen är ett utforskande av det begränsade perspektivet. Det är inte alltid lätt atttänka kritiskt kring en situation och försöka se den ur någon annans perspektiv. Genom att fysisktbegränsa betraktarens perspektiv med beskurna bilder och en objekt gömt i en låda ville jag tvingafram en medvetenhet om hur inskränkta ens perspektiv på omvärlden kan vara.Uppsatsen är baserad på en fokusgruppintervju med bildlärare och studenter. Syftet är attbidra till att hitta nya sätt att uppmärksamma och jobba med kritiskt tänkande i bilden, genom attbesvara följande tre frågeställningar:- Hur definierar fokusgruppen, bestående av två bildlärare och en bildlärarstudent, kritiskttänkande?- Vilka möjligheter respektive svårigheter ser fokusgruppen med att utveckla ett kritisktförhållningssätt bland elever - genom bildundervisningen samt undervisning som helhet?- Hur kan man utveckla arbetet med kritiskt tänkande i bildundervisningen?

Pensamento Crítico (PC) compreende os processos mentais que as pessoas põem em ação para tomar decisões e resolver problemas. A importância das habilidades de PC para a prática do cuidado em enfermagem está bem documentada na literatura nacional e internacional, entretanto o entendimento de quais são essas habilidades e de das estratégias para seu desenvolvimento no ensino superior em enfermagem ainda é incipiente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar e analisar as estratégias utilizadas no ensino do PC nos cursos de graduação em enfermagem de acordo com a sua presença na literatura científica, no período de 2012 a 2016. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva, baseada na Revisão Integrativa da Literatura. Realizou-se uma busca nas bases de dados CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC ProQuest. A amostra constituiu-se de 20 artigos e a análise permitiu identificar as estratégias: mapa conceitual, método ou estudo de caso, simulação, jogos, método de questionamento e respostas, redação reflexiva, composições de canções, escrita de poesias, role-play, tempestade de ideias, discussão em grupo, apresentação de plano de cuidados em enfermagem, ambiente de aprendizagem web móvel e e-learning: história em quadrinhos, utilizadas para desenvolver as habilidades de PC. Os resultados apontam que a perspectiva filosófica de PC mais ligada ao desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico é hegemônica no ensino superior em enfermagem. Além disso, o entendimento sobre o que é PC e suas habilidades especificas para a pratica do cuidado em enfermagem ainda carece de certo consenso, pois a maioria dos estudos identificados não explicitaram quais habilidades de PC que buscavam desenvolver através das estratégias de ensino propostas, ao passo que foram utilizados instrumentos de avaliação específicos para PC, o que pode trazer implicações negativas para o processo de ensino-aprendizagem / Critical Thinking (CT) comprises the mental processes that people put into action to make decisions and solve problems. The importance of CT skills for the practice of nursing care is well documented in the national and international literature, however the understanding of what these skills and the strategies for their development in nursing higher education are still incipient. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the strategies used in teaching the CT in undergraduate nursing courses according to their presence in the scientific literature, from 2012 to 2016. This is an exploratory descriptive research based on the Review Integrative of Literature. We searched the databases CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC ProQuest. The sample consisted of 20 articles and the analysis allowed to identify the strategies: conceptual map, method or case study, simulation, games, method of questioning and answers, reflexive writing, song compositions, poetry writing, role play, Brainstorming, group discussion, nursing care plan presentation, mobile web learning environment and e-learning: comics used to develop CT skills. The results point out that the philosophical perspective of CT more related to the development of logical reasoning is hegemonic in higher education in nursing. Furthermore, the understanding of what CT is and its specific skills for nursing practice still lacks a certain consensus, since most of the studies identified did not explain what PC skills they sought to develop through the teaching strategies proposed, and that specific assessment tools for CT were used, which may have negative implications for the teaching-learning process

The literature pertaining to action competence in the field of environmental education (EE), and active citizenship in the field of citizenship education (CE), were reviewed for this research. This review reveals an indeterminate collection of attributes that are associated with both action competence and active citizenship. This research introduces the term action-competence-associated attributes to refer to them. The purpose of this research is to explore how children’s participation in primary school eco clubs might afford opportunities for the development of these attributes. The justifications for this purpose are founded in the literature in the fields of environmental and citizenship education, in current educational policy in England, in practice in primary schools in England and in my personal research interests and philosophical principles. A transactional methodology frames the research, which comprises a multiple case study using participant observation and interviews. The data gathered from the two cases of primary school eco clubs, were subjected to both theory- and data-led thematic analysis. The emergent themes suggest how participation in eco clubs affords opportunities that contribute to the on-going development of children’s action-competence-associated attributes. This research makes three distinct contributions to knowledge. The first concerns the potential for eco clubs to enable primary schools to address the non-statutory framework for CE. A variety of different contextual factors influence how this takes place. The second contribution is the development of an analytical framework from action competence that may be useful for other researchers seeking to use action competence research to interrogate their own data .The third is the application of Biesta’s (2011) concept of the ignorant citizen to the school teachers in this research. The ignorant school teacher, by her/his very ignorance, is shown to influence the development of particular action-competence-associated attributes that might otherwise not be effected.

A partir do processo de implementação do Sistema Único de Saúde, diversos desafios foram emergindo de um contexto histórico, pautado na exclusão. Diversas estratégias foram utilizadas no sentido de superar os problemas e, entre estas, se destaca o Programa de Saúde da Família, cujos princípios se norteiam pela proximidade do usuário, centralidade na família, trabalho multiprofissional. No entanto, a questão da falta de formação e preparo dos profissionais se apresenta principalmente que se refere ao tratamento humanizado. Neste sentido, o estudo foi construído sob o universo conceitual originado dos trabalhos de Paulo Freire, em particular aos conceitos referentes e articulados a temática da humanização. O presente trabalho objetivou investigar em que medida o modelo pedagógico universitário tem influências na formação do enfermeiro, do médico e do odontólogo com relação à humanização, que no marco teórico freireano significa o bem tratar do paciente, mas também a inserção do profissional como ator social transformador. Para tanto, foram investigados os cursos de Enfermagem, Medicina e Odontologia de uma Universidade Federal da Região Norte do Brasil, pautando-se na perspectiva qualitativa. Como técnicas, foram realizados um encontro de grupo focal para cada curso, com seis acadêmicos do último período. Na etapa seguinte, realizou-se entrevista semiestruturada e individual, com os acadêmicos que participaram dos Grupos focais. Utilizou-se, ainda, da análise documental das matrizes curriculares dos cursos. Os resultados indicam que o ensino em Enfermagem, em Medicina e em Odontologia apresenta talhe tradicional, narrativo e depositário, conforme Freire, direcionamento que implica na vivência desumanizadora do acadêmico durante o curso universitário e que, segundo o referencial teórico, se refletirá na postura futura dos educandos. Os resultados sugerem a premente necessidade de reorientação dos modelos pedagógicos dos cursos estudados, com vistas a formação de enfermeiros, médicos e odontólogos com prática pautada no pensamento histórico-político e crítico reflexivo. / From the process of implementation of the Single Health System, several challenges were emerging from a historical context, guided the exclusion. Several strategies were used to overcome the problems and, among these, are the highlights of the Family Health Program, whose principles are guiding the proximity of the user, centrality in the family, multidisciplinary work. However, the issue of lack of training and preparation of professionals presents mainly regard to the treatment humanized. Therefore, the study was built under the conceptual universe originated the work of Paulo Freire, in particular relating to the concepts articulated in the subject of humanization. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which the pedagogical model university has influence in the training of nurse, doctor and dentist with respect to the humanization, which in the theoretical framework freireano means and treat the patient, but also the inclusion of professional and social actor processor. For both, were investigated the courses of Nursing, Medicine and Dentistry of a Federal University of the north of Brazil, in the qualitative perspective. As techniques were performed a meeting of focus group for each course, with six of the last academic period. In the next stage, held up a semi-structured and individual, with the scholars who participated in focus groups. It was used, in addition, the analysis of the documentary matrices curricula of the courses. The results indicate that education in Nursing, Medicine and Dentistry presents cut traditional, narrative and depositary, as Freire, targeting implies that the experience during the course of the academic university, which, according to the theoretical reference, if reflect on the future posture of the students. The results suggest the urgent need for reorientation of the teaching models of the courses studied, with a view to training for nurses, doctors and dentists with guided practice in the historical-political thinking and critical reflection.

Visuospatial thinking skills are essential for many professional and educational fields, including science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.). The ability to rotate objects mentally is foundational to various types of spatial abilities, e.g. spatial visualization, perspective taking, spatial relations, etc. (Caroll, 1993). In order to attain and maintain mental rotation skills, the process of explicit decomposing the movements involved during the rotational process is required to embolden learning and conceptualization. In pilot studies, I found when learners verbally confirm the thinking and planning methods before performing rotation tasks, it helps learners formulate a complete mental rotation understanding. Moreover, this augments learners’ abilities to transfer the skill to other types of spatial oriented tasks. The dissertation study further investigated how explicitly planning as a type of training during 3D manipulations helps learners improve their abilities at mental rotation and other spatial thinking skills. Students from New York City metropolitan area (n=127) were recruited and consented to participate in the study. Using a 2x2 factorial between-subjects design plus a control, students were randomly assigned to one level of propositional explanation (explicit propositional integration vs. without) and one of training environment or rotational method (computer-assisted vs. physical-manipulation), or to a control group (no rotation). In the manipulation, learners operated the rotation of seven distinct stimuli in either single or multiple rotations for a total of 42 training trials over two 50-minute sessions on two separate days. I assessed mental rotation abilities using a pre and post repeated measures of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Task and two standardized post-assessments, the Surface Development Task for near transfer of rotational skills and the far transfer of the Topographical Map Assessment. Overall, this dissertation confirmed that learners who engaged in explicitly integrating propositional in explaining their planning process improved in their 3D Spatial thinking skills and outperformed students who did not explicitly integrate their plans to complete the same spatial tasks on both the direct and near transfer tasks. There were no differences on the measures of far transfer. Results from this study can inform professionals ranging from educators to instructional designers as well as child developmentalists and caretakers. By coupling explicit explanations with internal spatial thinking, individuals can improve their 3D spatial thinking skills with prospects for benefits that extend not only into everyday activities but additional activities in S.T.E.A.M. related endeavors.

Pensamento Crítico (PC) compreende os processos mentais que as pessoas põem em ação para tomar decisões e resolver problemas. A importância das habilidades de PC para a prática do cuidado em enfermagem está bem documentada na literatura nacional e internacional, entretanto o entendimento de quais são essas habilidades e de das estratégias para seu desenvolvimento no ensino superior em enfermagem ainda é incipiente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar e analisar as estratégias utilizadas no ensino do PC nos cursos de graduação em enfermagem de acordo com a sua presença na literatura científica, no período de 2012 a 2016. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva, baseada na Revisão Integrativa da Literatura. Realizou-se uma busca nas bases de dados CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC ProQuest. A amostra constituiu-se de 20 artigos e a análise permitiu identificar as estratégias: mapa conceitual, método ou estudo de caso, simulação, jogos, método de questionamento e respostas, redação reflexiva, composições de canções, escrita de poesias, role-play, tempestade de ideias, discussão em grupo, apresentação de plano de cuidados em enfermagem, ambiente de aprendizagem web móvel e e-learning: história em quadrinhos, utilizadas para desenvolver as habilidades de PC. Os resultados apontam que a perspectiva filosófica de PC mais ligada ao desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico é hegemônica no ensino superior em enfermagem. Além disso, o entendimento sobre o que é PC e suas habilidades especificas para a pratica do cuidado em enfermagem ainda carece de certo consenso, pois a maioria dos estudos identificados não explicitaram quais habilidades de PC que buscavam desenvolver através das estratégias de ensino propostas, ao passo que foram utilizados instrumentos de avaliação específicos para PC, o que pode trazer implicações negativas para o processo de ensino-aprendizagem / Critical Thinking (CT) comprises the mental processes that people put into action to make decisions and solve problems. The importance of CT skills for the practice of nursing care is well documented in the national and international literature, however the understanding of what these skills and the strategies for their development in nursing higher education are still incipient. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the strategies used in teaching the CT in undergraduate nursing courses according to their presence in the scientific literature, from 2012 to 2016. This is an exploratory descriptive research based on the Review Integrative of Literature. We searched the databases CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC ProQuest. The sample consisted of 20 articles and the analysis allowed to identify the strategies: conceptual map, method or case study, simulation, games, method of questioning and answers, reflexive writing, song compositions, poetry writing, role play, Brainstorming, group discussion, nursing care plan presentation, mobile web learning environment and e-learning: comics used to develop CT skills. The results point out that the philosophical perspective of CT more related to the development of logical reasoning is hegemonic in higher education in nursing. Furthermore, the understanding of what CT is and its specific skills for nursing practice still lacks a certain consensus, since most of the studies identified did not explain what PC skills they sought to develop through the teaching strategies proposed, and that specific assessment tools for CT were used, which may have negative implications for the teaching-learning process